The Kaw (or Kansa) Indians lived in three villages southeast of Council Grove from 1848 until their removal south to Indian Territory in 1873. Methodist Episcopal missionaries built this school for Kaw children in 1851. But when efforts to influence the Native Americans failed, the missionaries turned their attention to educating white students. Today, the two-story limestone Kaw Mission, the region’s oldest stone structure, is a free museum, showcasing the heritage of the Kaw Indians, the Santa Fe Trail and early-day Council Grove.rn
